Taking a look at #iPSC Part 3
Here I am going to look at $SANA and the hypoimmune technology.
Here I am going to look at $SANA and the hypoimmune technology.
1/ Sana is working on a platform of iPSC cells. What I like about them is they are taking on the challenges of developing the technology beyond immune cells and into other cell lineages. They have data in Islet cells, Cardiomyocytes and Glial cells.
2/ The first programs are around in-vivo and ex-vivo CAR-T cells. The in-vivo is attempting to edit the patient's own T cells into CAR-T cells using a virus like particle called Fusogen. This technology has a lot of challenges to making it work. Mostly around manufacturing.
3/ Their ex-vivo CAR-T is all iPSC. They created a line of stem cells with Hypoimmune edits. They knock out the MHC I and MHC II. They up regulate CD47 on these cells. This is different than inserting the HLA-E amd HLA-G of the Alloevasion platform.
4/ Preclinical data shows this block cell killing by NK cells and Macrophages. They can also block this CD47 function with a anti-CD47 antibody that are in development by other companies. This allows them to restore function and clear these CAR-T cells if necessary.
5/ With the Hypoimmune platform, they can create a starting iPSC stock that can be developed into many different therapies from CAR-T to Islet cells in Diabetes to Cardiomyocytes. This is a more diverse platform than we saw from $IPSC.
6/ They have data in mice and NHP that shows they can transplant foreign cells with hypoimmune edits into animals with healthy immune systems and get long term survival. They have an islet cell program in Diabetes that shows they respond normally to insulin.
7/ They challenged these cells in animals using T cells that are reactive to islet cells that drive Diabetes. They were able to survive in the presence of T cells that would have killed normal islet cells.
8/ This is some very promising preclinical data. The Diabetes program wont be in the clinic till 2024. This first program into the clinic will be this year with SC291. This is a CAR-T therapy targeting CD19 with all the hypoimmune edits.
9/ This data will inform us as to the benefits if any that hypoimmune will give to CAR-T therapies. Next I want to get into some of the edits from $FATE, $CRBU and $CRSP.
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